Part 2 Chapter 8: Waking the next
morning, the UM is surprised at himself for expressing himself to Liza the way he did. He pays
Simonov what he had borrowed from him the previous night, and includes in the repayment a letter of
apology for his rude behavior.
After taking care of this, he lapses back into thoughts of Liza. The UM is genuinely tormented
by the idea that she might indeed come to see him, embarrassed by his poverty and indecency. He
does, however, still like to imagine himself as her savior, pretending that she loves him and owes everything
to him. Lastly, the UM describes
his hatred for Apollon, his old servant to whom he owes wages. He can't stand it when Apollon
stares at him out of spite, but more importantly, he can't stand the fact that Apollon won't yield to
him, or let himself be dominated.
Part 2 Chapter 9: When Liza appears
one evening unexpectedly, the Underground Man is horrified. He explains: "I stood before her,
crushed, humiliated, abominably ashamed.." This shame he turns into spite, and he humiliates her, telling
her that he was laughing at her that night.
Yet Liza seems to understand him, meaning she realizes how pitiful and vulnerable he is. When
he bursts into tears, she comforts and embraces him. This causes the UM to realize that instead
of him being her hero, she has indeed become his heroine.
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